Semaphore-operating device.



PATENTED 4,- 1903.

No. 735,420. I

' I H. w. SOUDBR.

SEMAPHORE OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

'no MODEL.

INYENIDR ATTORNEY PATENTED AUG. 4, 190*3.-

H. W. SOUDER.

SEMAPH'ORB OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

, WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES Patented August 4, 1903.

" PATENT OFFICE.

HOWELL W. SOUDER, OF TAMAQUA,.PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO D.ZEHNER, OF LANSFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

S'EMAPHORE'F OPERATING DEVICE.

sriscrrrcn'rxon forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,420, dated August4, 1903.. Application filed September 25, 1902. Serial No. 124,798- (Nomodel-.)

.To wZZ whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, HOWELL W;,.SOUDER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Tamaqua, Schuylkill county,

State of Pennsylvania, have in vented certain Certain features of myinvention, including the yielding connection for operating thereciprocating element, makeitpeculiarly adapt able to electricallyoperated mechanism.

In the case of a semaphore which is ex-' posed to the wind and stormsthe strain of sustaining it in an elevated position is frequently toomuch for an operating mechanismwhich may, however, have ample powerforlifting it initially to such position. On the other hand, whenanelectromagnet is used for elevating the semaphore-armthe 3o mechanism isfree and uncontrolled when the semaphore-arm is down, and strong gustsof windmay swing the arm to and fro, rapidly wearing out and possiblydisarranging'the entire apparatus. Either or both of these 5difficulties is avoided-by the use of my in- Vention. Moreover, insignals or other apparatus operated by the direct pull of a magnet thegreatest'resistance is encountered at the beginningof motion, when theinertia of 0 the parts and the greatest friction has to be overcome. Atsuch time also the pull of the magnet is weakest, as the armature isfarthest removed from it. Thus a magnet of unnecessarily large size isrequired and waste of power results. The yielding connection between theoperating parts and the semaphorearm, which is an essential element ofmy invention, remedies this difiiculty by reducing theinitial pullnecessary and concentrating the work toward theend of the stroke, when tthe pull of the magnet is greatest.

The best form of apparatus at present known to me embodying my inventionis illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in whichFigure 1 shows a semaphore with a solenoid for operating same, the partsbeingin a condition of rest with the semaphore-arm down. Fig. 2 is adetail of the same after the mechanism has operated far enough to unlockthe semaphore-arm. Fig. 3 is a detail of the same with the semaphore-armup and locked in that position. Fig. 4 shows the same after thesemaphore-arm has been unlocked and is ready to fall, and Fig. 5 is adetail of a modification.

Throughout the drawings like reference 'figures indicate like parts.

1 represents the supporting-post of a semaphore-signal, to which ispivoted the semaphore-arm 2 by the short shaft or pivot 3. Thesemaphore-arm has a short crank 4 for operating the same, and tothis isconnected the spring or other yielding element 5, the other end of saidspring being connected to a rod or other tension member 6. To the lowerend of the rod 6 is connected, either directly or intermediately, thecore 70f a solenoid 8 or other electromagnetic apparatus, which isexcited by the current passing through the circuit having the terminals9 and 10 when the same is closed by means of a switch 11 or othersimilar means. To the operating member 6 is attached a slide 12 by meansof the lug l3, This slide has a slot 14, which enables it to move up anddown on the shaft 3 as a guide. At the lower end of the slide 12 is asliding locking-bolt 15, normally pushed upward bythe spiral spring 16,and at the upper end of the slideis similar locking-bolt 17, normallypushed, downward by a spiral. spring 18', theseparts being arranged withreference to the slot 14 in substantially the manner shown in thedrawings. On the shaft 3 or otherwise connected tothe hub of thesemaphore arm 2, 'so as to move therewith, is the disk or hub 19,provided with notches 20 and 21, so shaped as to cooperate with thelocking-bolts l5 and 17.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the above described mechanism, withthe ex- ICO ception of the semaphore-arm, is shifted to a lower positionon the post 1, and the crankarm 4 is connected, by means of a link 6, tothe crank-arm 4" of the semaphore, which vibrates on a stud-shaft 3*. Inthis manner the projection of the slide 12 above the end of thesemaphore-post is obviated.

The mode of operation of my invention is as follows: Assuming the partsto be in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the switch 11 to be closed orthe solenoid 8 otherwise energized, the initial pull on the core 7 willbe transmitted through the rod 6 or other operating means to thereciprocating double-acting slide 12 and also to the lower end of thespring 5. The semaphore-arm being locked in the position shown, byreason of the fact that the locking-bolt 15 engages the notch 20 therecan be no movement of the crank-arm 4. The effect of the pull of the rod6 will therefore be to simultaneously stretch the spring 5 and move theslide 12 until the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 2. Thishaving withdrawn the locking-bolt 15 from the notch 20, the contractionof the spring 5 and further movement of the rod 6 will pull thesemaphore-arm up into the position shown in Fig. 3. The slide 12 willcontinue to move downward during this operation, and as the end of thestroke is approached the lockingbolt 17 will strike the hub 19. Thiswill arrest the movement of the locking-bolt 17,and as the slide 12 willcontinue to move the spring 18 will be compressed. When thesemaphore-arm has reached the position shown in Fig. 3--that is to say,its position of elevation-the notch 21 of the hub 19 will come oppositethe locking-bolt 17, which will be forced into engagement with the sameby the expansion of the spring 18, thus locking the semaphore-arm in itselevated position,all as shown in Fig. 3. When the circuit through thesolenoid 8 is broken and the same becomes dead, the pull upon the core 7and rod 6 will no longer exist. The initial action resulting from thisrelease of pull will evidently be the contraction of the spring 5, whichhas been expanded, as shown in Fig. 3, by the final portion of thedownward movement of the rod 6. This contraction of the spring 5 willlift the doubleacting slide 12 into the position shown in Fig. 4,withdrawing the locking-bolt 17 from the notch 21, and so leaving thesemaphore-arm free to fall back to its lowermost position by gravity,thereby throwing all the parts into the position shown in Fig. l inreadiness for a second operation. V

The advantages of my invent-ion comprise the positive locking of thesemaphore-arm in both positions and the automatic unlocking thereof bythe operating means itself, there by avoiding complication andmultiplication of mechanism. A further advantage consists in thereduction of the initial pull necessary to be exercised by the magnet inthat the first effect of the motion of the parts is merely to expand thespring 5, which presents a gradually-increasing resistance which maybegin at zero. Itis evident that by properly proportioning the parts thecontraction and expansion of the spring 5 might do the whole work ofswinging the semaphore-armthat is to say, the motion of thesolenoid-core 7 or magnet-armature wouldsimply do the gradually-increasing Work of expanding spring 5, which in contracting woulddo the work of swinging up the semaphore-arm.

7 While I have illustrated my invention as applied to the work ofswinging a semaphorearm and locking the same, it is evident that itmight be applied to many other purposes in which an element is to bemoved back and forth alonga predetermined path and locked automaticallyin one or more of its extreme positions. Such modified applications ofthe mechanism would still be within the scope of my invention it theessential feature of the spring connection or the combination of thespring connection with an operating connection for both the lockingdevice and the moving element were retained. It is further evident thatthe spring 16 might be dispensed with and the relative motion of thebolt 15 with reference to the slide 12 thereby eliminated, the yieldingaction of the spring 5 being sufficient to secure the easy engagement ofthe bolt 15 with the notch 20 when the semaphore falls into the positionshown in Figs. 1 and'2.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire toprotect by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of an element capable of movement back and forthalong a predetermined path, mechanism for locking said element in one ofits extreme positions, an operating member, a connection from saidoperating member to said lockin g mechanism, and a simultaneously-actingelastic connection from the operating member to the moving memberseparate from and independent of the above-mentioned connection to thelocking mechanism.

2. The combination of a supporting-frame, a vibrating arm journaledtherein, a locking device for said arm an operating member, a

connection from said operating member to said locking device, and asimultaneouslyacting elastic connection from the operating member to thevibrating arm separate from and independent of the above-mentionedconnection to the locking device.

3. The combination of a supporting-frame, a vibrating arm journaledtherein having a hub provided with notches corresponding to the. variouspositions of the arm, a reciprocating double-acting locking-slideadapted to alternately engage said notches, a connection for vibratingthe arm, means controlled by said connection for reciprocating thelocking-slide, and ayielding attachment for the operating connection tothe vibrating arm.

4. The combination of the supporting-post and semaphore-arm journaledtherein, the hub of said arm being provided with notches correspondingto the two signaling positions of said semaphore-arm, a reciprocatinglocking-slide provided with yielding projections alternately engagingsaid notches, a semaphore-operating connection to which saidlocking-slide is attached, and a spring interposed in the said operatingconnection between the point of the locking-slide attachment and thesemaphore-arm.

5. The combination of the supporting-post and semaphore-arm jonrnaledtherein, the hub of said arm being provided with notches correspondingto the two signaling positions of said semaphore-arm, a reciprocatinglocking-slide provided with yielding projections alternately engagingsaid notches, means for operating said reciprocating slide and a springconnection between said means and the semaphore-arm.

6. The combination of a movable signal, an 20 electromagnet, a movablearmature for said magnet and a spring connection between said armatureand movable signal.

I Signed at Lansford, Pennsylvania, this 15th day of September, 1902.

HOWELL SOUDER.

Witnesses:

E. E. WERNER, J. F. WERNER.

